Earlier quoted context omitted.
Never get rid of books. I got rid of a lot of mine and thoroughly regret it. Why? I now have children who want to read them.
I hope my kindle will still work
My bookshelf is 22 years old already :)
The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
51–60 of 120 posts
Re: The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
#52> The cost of postage and the check along with all the processing costs are covered from the money generated from sales of valuable crap. Remember: one man’s crap is another man’s treasure. And yet, Goodwill doesn't hand out $10 checks for every donation. I suspect that the money earned from selling "another man's treasure" will rapidly decline. At first, you'll have the type of people we imagine other HN readers sen…
I used to work at a thrift store. The amount of value we could extract from the average box of stuff dropped off to donate . . . was nowhere near $10. In fact, a lot of it couldn't be sold at all -- it just got thrown away. Broken toys, clothes with holes, dirty shoes, smoke-damaged, water-damaged, and just plain damaged stuff. Ugly nick-nacks, beat up plastic cups, dated books no one wants to read. We got so many ti…
i find this fascinating. tell us more about the stuff you got at the thrift store!
liketwice.com has a program like the OP is suggesting, but they have a short list of requirements for what they accept. they review the stuff and make you an offer that you can accept or reject. i imagine if they get through two or three holey shirts or smelly shoes they just send you a $1 offer (or $0) and move on.
Re: The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
#53If you want to get rid of stuff, for practically zero effort (ok, yes, without the $10) then stick it on http://www.freelywheely.com, my site.
Everything that gets posted gets more than a handful of people requesting it. Someone will come to get it, when it suits you, and take it away.
You get the warm fuzzy feeling of making someone else happy, and you also get the things out from under your feet.
Re: The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
#54[deleted]
Re: The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
#55> The cost of postage and the check along with all the processing costs are covered from the money generated from sales of valuable crap. Remember: one man’s crap is another man’s treasure. And yet, Goodwill doesn't hand out $10 checks for every donation. I suspect that the money earned from selling "another man's treasure" will rapidly decline. At first, you'll have the type of people we imagine other HN readers sen…
I used to work at a thrift store. The amount of value we could extract from the average box of stuff dropped off to donate . . . was nowhere near $10. In fact, a lot of it couldn't be sold at all -- it just got thrown away. Broken toys, clothes with holes, dirty shoes, smoke-damaged, water-damaged, and just plain damaged stuff. Ugly nick-nacks, beat up plastic cups, dated books no one wants to read. We got so many ti…
I have things that are slightly broken that are worth money if someone is willing to spend some time. I do not have that time. Does anyone?
Re: The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
#56I do this all the time with Amazon's Trade-In Program. A couple of times a year, I look at my book shelf and video games. If I haven't read/played them within the last 6 months, and have no compelling reason to hold onto them for the foreseeable 6 months, into the box they go. Amazon then gives me a pre-paid shipping label. I find the whole process enjoyable. "How much will Amazon give me for this?" is an exciting ga…
I've also used http://glyde.com/ to do the same.
do you know if they ship to EU?
Re: The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
Nice approach. I personally can't force myself to get rid of books that I've read, which is not very rational, because I very rarely reread books. But other stuff I try to get rid of, or not buy at all.
Never get rid of books. I got rid of a lot of mine and thoroughly regret it. Why? I now have children who want to read them.
I highlight and leave marginalia in my books for the same reason.
Re: The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
The ultimate solution is buying less shit Unfortunately some of us have relatives who insist on gifting us shit, regardless of how tactfully we try to ask them not to. I'd love to join a club like this. (Right now Goodwill suffices, but there's definitely non-cheap stuff we give away just because we don't have time to deal with it.)
Craigslist the non-cheap stuff. It only takes a few minutes to post something there (less time than going to Goodwill, probably), and you'll get some cash. But yeah, the gifting culture drives me kind of bonkers too. I intend to establish Gift Truces with as many people in my life as possible come January 1st of 2014 (since, mathematically, I should be even with most people at that point). Or, if a person won't go fo…
But Craigslist can be a huge pain some times. It doesn't matter how low you price something, 5 people will try to get it for half that. I've had people arrange a time to come by & buy... and then never show up or respond again. Some times people really suck. lol
Re: The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
#59I think its a nice idea, the core problem is what others have identified: people will send crap.
What about charging people $120 / year to sign up? and then they get their $10 /month back. No one will make money, but if you're motivated by helping out, and by relieving yourself of crap, it still could be worthwhile. And there's still tax write-offs (if it's made as a charitable org).
Re: The Get-Rid-Of-Crap-Every-Month Club
#60Also, Am I the only one who now has Macklemore stuck in his head?